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2024 Retrospect

Reflecting on the year through several categories

12/31/2024#retrospect

Work (Flex Team)

All year long, I focused on one task: transforming a tightly coupled codebase into a structure suitable for micro frontends and changing the way we work.

  • 1Q: Reduced the number of monorepo packages
  • 2Q: Organized and monitored monorepo package dependencies
  • 3Q: Worked on decoupling states between micro apps
  • 4Q: Began dismantling the monorepo (ongoing)

Throughout the year, I only removed incorrect code couplings. I barely contributed to the service and mostly cleared technical debt. Despite the hard work, the results were unsatisfactory. Declaring last year as a career high turned out to be a jinx.

In 4Q, I spent countless hours catching errors and preparing to separate the codebase by removing tacit knowledge and debts that had been with the product since before I joined. I hope to see the fruits of this labor next year.

This year was the most extreme in my career, with incredibly high stress.

  • The changes involved thousands of lines, and I had to ensure that multiple applications continued to function identically.
  • I wrote an automated script to change thousands of lines of module references and complex dependencies.
  • I worked in situations where if the order of changes and deployments was wrong due to high coupling, it would cause immediate issues.
  • To break complex dependencies, I internalized or copied the code of many modules into other modules.
  • I repeatedly ran CI and fixed type errors until there were none after replacing references with newly packaged modules.
  • I led, persuaded, and validated the design of a new development platform and codebase structure used by 30 people.
  • It was painful to choose what to achieve and what to give up because there were no good options, only inconvenient ones.

I had a great awakening as an engineer. Without being in a good state and making good decisions, no work could be done properly.

My teammates taught me how to maintain optimism and a sense of progress even when nothing seemed to go well. They also showed me how to focus and make the best choices without being blinded, even in situations where no choice felt right. Without them, I would have quit.

I often said, “Even in grueling manual labor, there is art and romance,” in an effort to find meaning. I tried to find fun when there was none. Despite this, I often became sensitive and sharp, making it difficult to remain kind. Next year, I want to smile more and speak warmly at work.

In the current team situation, an engineering platform where everyone contributes equally is impossible. A platform engineer with strong ownership and vision must define and support “areas that work well without knowing.” I want to create a platform that can withstand 100 people, even if it currently supports 30. We need more good colleagues.

Health

I completely quit smoking. It was largely to maintain a good physical and mental state to make good decisions. Pretending I had never smoked was more effective than using all sorts of methods to quit. Having smoked for quite some time, I feel a bittersweet sense of farewell. The thought of never being able to smoke again is quite sad.

I ran 946 km this year. As I wrote in my two-year running retrospective, it greatly contributed to my mental health and stamina. Although I participated in a half marathon, I don’t want to run competitively next year. I’ll continue to run diligently on my own.

I completed 140 home strength training sessions. I’m pleased to have improved my pull-up ability. Next year, I want to increase the weight and exercise more consistently in the mornings, though I’m unsure if it will work out. I don’t usually push myself hard.

Some unfavorable results came up in my health check-up, so I’ll need treatment next year. One diagnosis was a herniated disc, but stretching is showing some improvement. I dislike hospitals, but it’s becoming increasingly necessary for health management. Next year, I hope to visit hospitals more willingly and learn more about insurance.

Money

I think I reduced spending failures compared to last year. I tried to buy items offline, except for essential goods with designated uses. I realized that buying clothes offline is superior to online. Next year, I need to reduce spending further and think about “truly necessary consumption.”

This year’s notable expenditures were on electronics and furniture. I hadn’t spent much before, but buying quality items improved my quality of life. I bought lighting, smart bulbs, an air purifier, a no-drill water purifier, and a used Herman Miller chair.

This year’s investment returns were satisfactory. Next year, I’m uncertain and worried about market conditions, so I’m unsure of my strategy. I’d like to invest with peace of mind, but it’s challenging. I still tend to trade too frequently and get anxious about underperforming stocks.

I’m interested in identifying and finding “sound corporations,” so I’ll study more next year. I also want to learn more about personal finance, including housing subscriptions, year-end tax adjustments, real estate, and tax savings.

Life

In the first half of the year, I watched many plays alone, suddenly seeing 18 performances. It was part of an attempt to restore my past self. I mostly visited venues that showcased small-scale productions, like Arko Arts Theater and Daehakro Arts Theater, rather than well-known works.

I saw many interesting and sensory-refreshing scenes. It was also fun to occasionally bring friends and watch their reactions. I realized I have a strong interest in the responses of powerless individuals facing great disasters.

In the first half of the year, I contacted and met many acquaintances and friends, as I had resolved to do last year. However, in the second half, work stress made it difficult to converse with people. I often felt my mind wasn’t working well during conversations, so I reduced social engagements. When I’m struggling, my outward interactions significantly decrease.

Since August, I’ve started dating. It’s been enjoyable and refreshing to watch movies and visit places I wouldn’t have chosen alone. As work became more challenging, I found myself relying heavily on my partner. Next year, we plan to enjoy our time together fully.

Books

I read 40 books.

“The Stranger” (Albert Camus) / “The Fall” (Albert Camus) / “The Third Reich History (2)” / “Strongly with Types, Flexibly with Polymorphism” / “Reading the Real Meaning of Numbers: Financial Statement Analysis” / “The Plague” (Albert Camus) / “No Despair on Instagram” / “Practice Using Only 20%” / “You Need Boredom” / “The Phoenix Project” / “Industry-Specific Listed Companies Financial Statement Highlights” / “Duna’s Exploration of Genre Worlds” / “The Attic” (Sakate Yoji) / “AI Investment Wars” / “Cloud Native” / “Prompt Engineering” / “The Hard Thing About Hard Things” / “Tidy First?” (Kent Beck) / “Exile and the Kingdom” (Albert Camus) / “AI Programming with GPT-4, ChatGPT, LlamaIndex, and LangChain” / “LEAN HR” / “Unit Testing” / “Guide to Writing Readable and Reviewable Code” / “Mindful Running - Finding Myself in Iten, Kenya” / “Micro State Management with React Hooks” / “Proof of the Sphere” / “Slow Aging Habits” / “Building Microservices Architecture” / “Clinging Emotions” / “Mental Head” / “Conformity” / “Fake Work - The World of Self-Created Burnout” / “Mindfulness Meditation Mentoring” / “Awareness of Awareness” / “All-in-One Dividend Investment” / “Beyond Crisis” / “New Workers - Editor, Planners” / “Easy Heaven” / “Finding a Home that Suits Me” / “Love, Control, and a Glass of Freedom”

Next year, I want to stop reading investment books and focus on books about AI, history, and leftist ideologies. There are too many books I want to read, so I need to curate carefully.

Blog

I posted a total of 10 entries on my blog. There’s been a noticeable increase in non-development-related posts.

“I’m not cool, I’m not smart, I can’t even parallel park” (2024.02.05) / “How Should 4th Year Developer Kim Max Grow?” (2024.03.17) / “Mad Max and the Long, Straight Line” (2024.06.28) / “Two Years of Running Retrospective” (2024.10.05) / “I’m Definitely Not Doing Well, So I Shouldn’t Be Arrogant” (2024.10.10) / “Types of Coupling Between Software Modules” (2024.10.22) / “Four Concerns About Development Platform Engineering” (2024.12.07) / “I Can’t Live Like This” (2024.12.07) / “How the React Web Frontend Local Development Server Works” (2024.12.17)

I used AI to translate all my posts into English. I tried adding AdSense, but removed it after being horrified by adult game ads. It looked terrible aesthetically.

After writing a post, I shared links on Twitter and LinkedIn. It was my way of producing and distributing content, but next year, I want to find more distribution channels, especially for English-written content.

I want to write shorter posts more frequently. By splitting what would have been one long post into several shorter ones, I hope to increase my writing frequency. This way, I can greet readers more often and develop a habit.

How I Want to Live Next Year

I want to frequently think about what’s most important now. This year, I wanted to do too many things, which was problematic. I must accept that I can’t do everything. Instead of managing time, I need to manage my desires. Choosing and focusing are crucial.

The reason I wanted to do so many things was likely due to losing a long-term, clear goal. I used to want to explore more technology and be recognized for it, but now that’s somewhat fulfilled, and my interest has waned. I’m contemplating what should come next.

Although I have virtues I like and pursue in my life, I’m unsure if they can become a long-term life theme. They might, though. I want to think about it and create many opportunities to discover it.

Awards

(End)

Written by Jonghyuk Max KimSend emailCopy linkShare on X
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